


Pretending on the Bad Days

by PennamePersona



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, Comforting Keith, Hurt/Comfort, Insecure Lance, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-06
Updated: 2017-01-06
Packaged: 2018-09-15 08:10:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,027
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9226094
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PennamePersona/pseuds/PennamePersona
Summary: It's one of the bad days.Waking up this morning, he already knew that much. Still hurts, he knows, because knowing doesn't help a thing, and damn, that stings, that aches in his heart.Voltron Secret Santa 2016 for nawsies





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [nawsies](https://archiveofourown.org/users/nawsies/gifts).



> Hey, this is not as fantastic and wonderful as it would've been if I'd had more time, but I still hope it's enjoyable!

It's one of the bad days.

 

Waking up this morning, he already knew that much. Still hurts, he knows, because knowing doesn't help a thing, and damn, that stings, that aches in his heart.

 

But the best thing to do about it is go on as normal until there's a trigger, something bigger, and then it's all damage control because prevention never really works, not the way he's done it.

 

So he swings his legs over the bed and gets up anyway, despite all the pain in his chest.

 

* * *

 

Lance is sitting in the observation bubble above the training deck, just watching. Observing, really, just like the name says, nothing wrong with that, nothing wrong at all, except that it's just making him feel worse.

 

He watches the figure below slash and swipe, tumble and evade, and finally, strike.

 

Keith is good at this, Lance knows, good at fighting. He's usually proud that his partner in life, love, and the pursuit of happiness (for the entire universe) is so good at what he does, with the only negative emotion being a sadness that, for so long, Keith only got real release through this, didn't connect with other people, only understand the swing of the sword.

 

But Keith is better now, and honestly, Lance should be as well.

 

Or maybe he shouldn't. Maybe it isn't that easy, maybe he's pushing himself too hard, maybe he should just chill. Most days, that's what he does. Looks at himself, thinks "this'll work" and it does. Even on some days that have a tinge of the bad, he can generally make it work.

 

But days like today, when his self-esteem is wrecked and his body image is awful and all he feels is that he's not good enough...

 

It's harder.

 

It's harder, and it's painful, an aching in his chest, so instead of trying to feel better in ways he knows won't work, he watches Keith.

 

Lance briefly considers hitting the com button and shouting something down to Keith, something encouraging, something sarcastic, something that'll make him feel a little bit more like maybe he's okay, but just as he's preparing himself to pretend to be normal, Keith looks up, straight at him, like he knew the whole time that Lance was watching.

 

They stare at each other for a long moment before Lance looks away.

 

* * *

 

Keith watches Lance go, watches him leave the observation bubble, and curses. 

 

He knows Lance well after all this time, after all they've done, after...

 

After everything.

 

He knows that Lance is having a bad day, understands bad days, but doesn't know how to fix this, how to take the pieces of Lance that are screaming "not good enough" and shut them up because Lance will _always_ be more than good enough.

 

So he storms out of the training deck and immediately goes to his room. It hasn't gotten much use lately, since usually they sleep together in Lance's room. Keith has a drawer of clothes, there, has part of the closet, mostly uses his room for keeping his weapons and whatever's not important enough to need within arm's reach.

 

The door slides open, and instead of an empty room, there's Lance, there's _Lance_ , sitting on Keith's bed, not even bothering to look up. 

 

Keith goes about his business, puts his bayard safely down, takes care of his armor, and then kneels in front of Lance.

 

He puts one hand on Lance's face, as gentle as he can be with hands made for fighting.

 

"Lance," He says. "I know this is a bad day, but I promise that whatever your head is telling you, it's not true. You're good enough. You're more than good enough, you're amazing, and I love you."

 

Lance looks up, then, makes eye contact, and that's going to be enough for Keith, except that Lance leans forward and gently kisses him.

 

"I know," Lance says. "I love you, too."

 

Keith smiles at him, sadly, because Lance has been getting better at knowing things on his bad days, when he doesn't feel good enough but knows deep down that he is, but it's still awful to watch the person he loves hurting like this.

 

"Can we just lay down for a bit?" Lance asks, not looking away, which is good.

 

"Of course," Keith says, getting up on the bed, moving to hold Lance in his arms, which is exactly what he wanted to be doing, anyway, cradling Lance, keeping him safe from the world, but never enough to keep him safe from himself.

 

That's Lance's battle, but Keith will always be here to help him fight it.

 

* * *

 

Lance falls asleep in Keith's arms, which is, by the way, the perfect place to fall asleep. When he wakes up, he's warm, he feels good, and he forgets for a moment that he doesn't deserve this.

 

"Keith," He says, quietly. "I wish I was good enough for you."

 

He expects Keith to be asleep, so he's thrown for a loop when Keith immediately bolts up, looking down at him like he's crazy.

 

"You're more than good enough," Keith says. "I love you, Lance, but you're an idiot sometimes. You're good enough for me, you're good enough for this team, you're better than good enough for the entire universe."

 

"But I - " Lance starts, but Keith just puts a finger to his lips.

 

"Nope," Keith says. "None of that. You're enough, Lance, you will always be enough."

 

There are tears forming at the corner of Lance's eyes, but he doesn't want that, so he just kisses the tip of Keith's finger.

 

"How do you always know what to say?" Lance asks, and Keith shakes his head.

 

"I just say what I'm thinking," Keith says. "And hope it works."

 

"It does," Lance says. "It's nice to know you care about me."

 

"Of course I care about you!" Keith cries, swooping down to grab Lance up in his arms, to hold him close. "I care about you so much that it scares me."

 

"Don't worry," Lance says. "I'll keep you safe."

 

Keith laughs, quietly, and kisses the top of Lance's head.

 

"I know, Lance." He says. "I know."

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Late Holidays! Find me on [tumblr](http://www.pennamepersona.tumblr.com)  
> 


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